Full Moon: Downfall
by Erzaler Kael
Summary: 1000 years after the fall of the Guardians. The Pure Ones have lost the intentions og the original leaders, but still retain their laws. One of the many owls living in the empire unknowingly becomes the main threat to the evil empire.
1. Prologue

I do NOT own TGoG, I'm not Kathryn Lasky.

* * *

**Prologue**

A thousand Pure Ones flew over the darkened Sea of Hoolemere. Behind them the once great tree burned to its roots, lighting the dark night. Their leader hovered over her army. Nyra had been waiting a long time for this moment. The full moon on this night lit up her moon-like face. Suddenly, she felt an alien feeling in her gizzard. Was it the feeling of happiness? Of victory? A smile (her first since hatching) forced its way under her soft-pink beak. _The Guardians of my tail feathers are finished! Oh, if only Kludd were here to see the demise of his brother and the Racdrop Guardians. He would be thrilled. Thrilled to see the start of a new era of Pure Tyto Supremacy! _The leader of the Pure Ones gave a long final look at the dying tree.

In the following years, under rule of High Empress Tyto Nyra, the Pure Ones took over the known owl kingdoms during the campaign of Purity. They had control of the minds of all non-Tyto owls, and rewrote history to work in their favor. The Pure Tytonic Empire would last for the rest of time, they thought, but the world was going to change a thousand years after the fall of the Guardians. And it would start with the crack on an eggshell...


	2. 1: Late Again

Chapter One: Late...Again

/Ambala

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A glowing full moon hung above a giangantic marshy pine forest. Its various nocturnal inhabitants were up and about while their daytime counterparts lay asleep in the scattered burrows and hollows. Hoots, howls, growls, and screeches filled the Ambala forest.

On a large fir tree, two female sooty owls stared at the celestial being above them; the moon stared back. The older of the two was a normal-looking sooty except for the worried expression on her face. She tapped her claws impatiently on the branch she stood on. "This is great and all, but we have to go to work, Glace. You know what General Garne will do to us if we get there late."

Her younger sister, Glace, had plumage lighter than hers, and her eyes were the color of ice. Glace wasn't as much of a rule-follower as her sister Abbys, and wasn't very worried about punishment. "Abbys, what do you have against the 'Small Cell'? I quite like it: solitary time in the dark, perfect for thinking." Glace spoke in a challenging voice.

"Well, most of us go yoicks in small spaces, Glace. I happen to be one of those many." Abbys returned the challenge in a matter-of-fact voice. She fluffed up her feathers and lifted herself to a higher branch. "I'm leaving. I'll see you there, sis." The sooty took to the sky, mixing herself among the other commuting owls.

_Some owls just don't appreciate the world when they see it!_ She sighed. Glace liked to take her time with the full moon, as she felt comfort in staring at it. Her feathers relaxed as the nighttime winds stopped. What a night to enjoy!

Thus, Glace knew, that work had to be done; for the High Empress Tyto, for the Empire, and for food. Though she didn't understand what grinding up walnuts did to help an empire, or why the empire had a royal guard when they were the only ones around? She didn't understand many things about the way the empire worked, but work had to be done.

Glace let go of the branch and lifted herself into the sky. The wind worked in her favor, letting her effortlessly glide towards the Walnut Mill. The countering breeze softly brushed her face, as if nature was preening her. She closed her eyes, _lovely._

…

Minutes later, Glace arrived at the large cave entrance of the Mill. The arch before her was carved with the words, "Serve the cause; Glaux rewards". She lighted on the dirt to walk into the Mill, for flying in brought one to the Small cell. A Barn Owl stood perched on a branch of a nearby fir tree. He wore an eye patch over his left eye, and scars running down his breast. He swooped down in front of the young Sooty owl. He tilted his head his head in a menacing manner, "Hello, Glacinda. You're late… AGAIN!" General Garne became livid.

"I know, I know. I'm going to the Small Cell …" she started.

"Ohoho! Not today, lass. You've been late too many times young'un! This time, it's off to Ambala Court with ye!" he threatened.

Glace's eyes widened at the words 'Ambala Court'. This court was the second highest in the Tytonic Empire. Could one owl missing a few minutes of work be this big of a crime? It didn't make sense to Glace. A full set of things didn't make sense. The young Sooty went yeep on the spot.

General Garne grabbed Glace in his talons and carried her towards the Ambala court.


	3. 2: Cold Sentence

**Chapter Two: Cold Sentence**

* * *

Below Glace, the vast forest of Ambala went by like a blur. As the various shades of green and grey made her dizzy, repeating thoughts raced through her mind. How could one seemingly tiny flaw in a monstrous and gigantic system make such a mess? How could she, out of trillions of owls, anger the Tytonic Order?

It didn't make sense.

…

In a large hollow at the base of an old fir tree, seven scholarly barn owls met. Of the seven, the youngest, Jura, thought about her service in the Ambala Court. She wasn't picked for the court, nor did she want to join. But after her brother's death, she had become a judge by default. As far as she was concerned, she was just there for show. To continue what was gone.

She couldn't listen to the conversations of the elder judges anymore. Since she arrived, their words had always been about either the court itself, or of the Empress. Not a single word passed about the wonders of life or typical, everyday things. It had bored Jura's gizzard dry. She had started to write as the others spat out the same old words. Soon enough a story had formed, but she needed a protagonist.

Just then,the General Garne flew into the court with Glace in his large black talons. He dropped the sooty owl on the cold, polished jade floor. He then perched next to her, and bowed his head at the judges.

The oldest of the judges, who appeared quite weak, but wise, spoke, "Why is this working tyto owl here? She should be at work!"  
Garne glanced down at Glace, then back at the judges, and laughed dryly, "Hohoho, she is far from a working tyto, your honor."

The same judge peered at Glace, squinting his small eyes, "Get up, tyto! What is this about not working? Every owl has their part in our society."

Glace's gizzard shook as she rose from the cold, hard floor. She darted her eyes around trying not to make any eye contact with anyone, "I-I I was just-"

"SPEAK! You'll get nowhere in life if you don't speak! Now tells us what happened!" The judge's beard feathers shook intensely as he yelled. His eyes pierced into Glace's soul.

Jura watched the event playing out in front of her. Finally, after two moons of waiting, had something interesting happened in the court. She let go of the thought of writing for a while. She could watch this!

Glace closed her eyes and spoke, "I would waste my time staring at the moon, and show up late to work. I knew I'd get thrown into the Small Cage by biding my time outside. I quite enjoyed the silence inside the cage."

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" The judge yelled. Every owl present in the hollow jumped back, including the strong General Garne. The words loitered in the hole of the large tree. No one dared speak as silence found its way into the hollow.

Glace wished the judge wasn't directing the question to her. In her mind, her typically wandering mind, the words were directed to the Empress.

_What is wrong with you?_

_ You, High Empress, who put me in this predicament. Who takes fledglings from their parents and gives them a place in a controlled society. Who makes every able soul believe everything you do is righteous._

_ What is wrong with you?_

An angered expression found its way onto her face. Her talons scratched then gripped the jade floor. Any fear she had felt left her.

"I want this sad excuse of a Pure Owl out of my sight! Send her to the Labor Prison!" The elder judge's voice could've made it as far as the Empress' Palace by now. The hollow remained silent except for the ghosts of the judge's echo. Not even the outside world dared make a sound. She had received a cold sentence to the harsh Labor Prison in the icy lands of the former Northern Kingdoms. The Labor Prison could set any owl straight.

"You!" He now turned his attention to Jura, who had picked up her scribe-feather to write. "You never seem to do anything! Take this convict away! She deserves to work with the inferior owls."

Jura rolled her eyes and muttered, "Yes, your Honor…"

* * *

During her meal break, Abbys looked around the area of the Mill for her sister. Where could she have gone? Had she seriously stayed in the hollow this long? But, that wouldn't be like Glace. Like everything about the Tytonic Order that she was afraid about, it didn't make sense.

* * *

A.N. It's been a super busy summer! This story nearly fell from my grasp.

But, The show must go on!


	4. 3: The Empress and the Seas

AN: Now, with the semester being over, I'm back to writing! Expect less of a gap for the next chapter!

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Chapter 3: The Empress and the Seas

Far from the reaches of the Hoolian states, in the mountainous lands of the former Jouzhen Kingdom, the elegant Tyto Empress perched on her polished jade throne staring at the ocean between giant marble pillars. Her eyes wandered on the same, rolling waves she had seen all her boring life. She reached into a small stone bowl next to her for a chunk of juicy vole meat as she stared. Noticing that an empty bowl met her neatly-groomed talons, she called for her personal chef, Greta. The short, plump sooty owl waded into the giant, lonely throne room. The Empress yelled down, "Greta! I'm all out of vole! Bring me more!" Her voice echoed on the walls.

"Yes, my empress! I shall bring more! Juicy vole is on its way, yes!" The chubby Sooty rushed back out.

Shortly after the echoes left the hall, the elegant Empress returned to her deep state of thought. The ocean before her guided her thinking with its mood. When its waves were soft, her thoughts were calm. Today, for some odd reason, the waves appeared uncomfortable and foamy; restless. She shrugged it off for now; it meant nothing more than a few rough winds. She tried to think about some other subject than the waves, but was interrupted by the loud voice of Greta returning.

"Your Majesty, here is the meat, yah!" She flew the bowl of vole meat to the Empress, Nariana.

Nariana looked at the smooth silvery plate, which, aside from the meat on it, reflected her beautiful and elegant face. Yes, it was beautiful, but it was, in fact, the face of a killer; the throne was given to her by force. Having nothing to do in this gigantic and empty polished jade palace, she decided her mother's reign was over, and with a simple swipe of sharp battleclaws, she became the Empress. Did she miss her dear mother? No, nor did she care for the passing of anyone who could ever come in contact with her. She simply did not care.

If this murder had been committed by any other owl in the entire kingdom, it would've meant instant execution. Yet, since she was the daughter of the Empress, all the owls and other beasts celebrated. Whether it was out of fear or respect, they considered this killing a victory. All accounts of the event described the murder as heroic and claimed the slain empress was a coward who deserved what she got, though neither opinion was true.

Niriana stared back at the sea. The same sea that has seen hundreds of empresses come and go. It was the sea that witnessed the forceful removal of Nariana's mother from the throne. The sea that would be there long after she, Nariana, and the kingdom were gone and forgotten. The sea, large and monstrous, looked back at her. The waves crashed.

* * *

The soft shadows of a barn owl and sooty owl loomed over the former Sea of Hoolemere, now called the Sea of Nyra. The moon above, now waning, reflected beautifully upon the sea below. The barn owl carried a bag with her journal inside. She would take it wherever she went, for if she felt inspired, she felt the need to write. The Sooty next to her looked around at the vastness that was the sea; it meant nothing to her. The moon above somehow gave her reassurance that nothing bad would happen. It made her feel safe, even though she was on the way to a prison.

There, on the horizon, they both caught a glimpse of a depressing and bare rock island. The sooty, Glace, stared at the large rock jutting from the sea. It gave her the same feeling of security as the moon, yet she had never been near it or seen it in her entire life. Still, the island gave her gizzard a feeling of strength.

_What does this island have that is making me feel like this? _She thought. As the two owls approached the island, the sensation grew, and the answer to Glace's question began to take shape.


End file.
